Cheese-cutting gage.



\ J. P. PITTMAN.

Patented May l, |900.

CHEESE CUTTING GAGE.

(Application (lo Model.)

filed Jan. 5, 1900.)

vNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES P'INKNEY PITTMAN, OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

oHEEsE-'Cu'l-TING GAGE.

SPECIFICATION farming part of Letters Patent 110,648,574, dated May I, 1900. Application filed January, 1900. Serial No. 474. (No model.)

`My invention relates to improvel'nents inv indicators or gages for cutting articles in bulk,

such as whole cheese; and the object in-view is to provide a simple and cheap contrivance for use in coperativerelation to a movable table and including a shiftable element adapted to be placed at variable positions for indicating accurately the line of cut according to the desired Weight of the fragment, thefparts being so combined that cakes ofcheese varying in Weight maybe cut in sections,u each of a single piece, accurately according tothe weight desired, from one-half pound upward to one, two, or more pounds. n

With these ends inviewthe invention consists in the novel combination of devices and in the construction and arrangement of parts,

as will be hereinafter fully describedvand claimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated a preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which l Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a cheesecutter with my improved gage or indicator `in operative relation to a movable table and the plane of action of the cutter-knife. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the Working parts, showing the cheese-casing in horizontal section. p Fig; 3 is a detail perspective view of the gage or indicator removed from the casing forthe cutter.

mechanism. Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sec;- tional view through the indicator or gage cas,- ing. Fig. 5 is a transverse section in the plane of the dotted line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail plan View of the indicator-cylinder removed from the casing and other parts of the indicator.

The same numerals of reference are used to indicate like Aand corresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

The indicator or gage of my invention is especially designed for use in operative relation to a movable table and a cutter mechanism of a cheese-cutting machine, one type of which is shown by the drawings andvwill be I hereinafter described. The revoluble cylinder of this indicatoris housed'or contained in` a casing 10, preferably of vcylindrical form and having the depending feet 11 atits ends, said feet adapted to be fastenedirmly to the bottom of the casing which contains the cut-l tin g mechanism andserves as an inclosure for A the cheese. This casing for the indicator-cyl inderis provided in its upper side With a longitudinal observationslot l2, through which the operator may `observe the indications on the revoluble cylinder'l for thepurpose of ad;

justingthe shiftable indicator element to variable positions todndicate the lines of cut on the cheese or other article,whereby the cheese may be cut in fragments accurately according `to weight. This revoluble cylinder is provided at its ends with journals 14, which are properly supported in openings or bearings of the heads, forming parts of the casing '10, and to tions thereof into view through the slot 12 in the casing. This indicator-cylinder is inscribed with divisions, figures, and indicating lines or marks for use in' connection with cakes of cheese which vary in weight, whereby it is adapted to serve, in connection with a shiftable indicator element, for the purpose of accurately noting the line of cut. At one end the surface fthe cylinder is inscribed with a,circle`l6, and the cylinder is furthermore inscribed with a plurality oflongitudi'nal parallel lines 17, the latter intersecting `the circle 16 and forming an annular series of rectangular spaces 18, adaptedtoreceive numerals arranged consecutively according to the different Weights of the cheese-aa for instance, from ten to forty pounds. Between the longitudinal lines are other indications 19, which are placed at variable distances to indicate a fragment of the weight denoted by the numeral in the space 18as, for instance, from one-half of a pound upward to two or more pounds. It is to be understood that-the cylinder may be turned on its axis by the manipulation of one of its knobs to bring either of IOO the spaces 18 and the longitudinal seri.esof

. indicator-casing 10, adjacentto the observation-slot therein, and which is adapted when the gage or indicator is properly fixed within the cheese-casing |to lie concentric with the v axis of the cheese on a revoluble table. In the tened to the-opposite endsof the cylindenfad jacent to the terminals of the slot 12 therein.

vembodimentof ,the invention shown bythe drawings this guide is represented as Iconsist-4 ing of a curved piece of wire having its .ends bent or vcurved into the legs 21, which are fas- On this segmental'guideis'slidably fitted the shiftableindicator elem en @which isemb'odied` inthe form of an ind`icator-arm122, havingan [eye 23 'anda` linger 24. V'This 'shiftab lefelel` appliance; `While thel vnger extends fro guide,` Vso'as to rest upon theindica-tor-cas1ng,V '.la'cross the obser-vationslot-YI-tlierein,whereby 'the` n'ger isA adapt/edi to traversethefcasingf opposite tothedivis-ion in the"indicatorgcylijnlf 1 der,'f.whi'ch enables the operatori tol accura-tevlyv,A [determine thepo'sition ofthe shiftable in icv ,tot w i *n n I LInFigs.` lfan'd l2 of the Vdrawings I' have illustrated one type of the chees'eifcutter apj `pliance with which my improvedindicatoror` gage is adapted for use, *Thel cheese and theV i cutter mechanism are 'intended to be con?" ltained or housed Withina casing of any suitf 'able material and dimensions, said casing p having an imperforate bottom and ahinged inlent isshownasbentfrom a singlep'iece-ofw ib -wireili'avingjthe-eye23 formed by coilin'gthe 'Y f. v C yWire in a mannerto-connect' thefarm "22fwitl1dv` jtheinger 24;.;buttliis detailed* cQnSiiluCtirif and the `materialyemploy/"ed j maybe variedl 'b skilled constru otorf.'l The arm` 22`is eo .'siderably longerihan the iiingerQttpand jh f linger extends dt'ivvnwardlyn f romfthear a curved jor inclined directionyiassheu Fv-ig. This construction ofthe'shiftabl el inentprovides for'gthe extension` of'4 the'jllon g1 arm "aV properdistance ybeyondfthe"gage',l soja jtofoverhavgthe movable*` table -ef "the" cu'tte front'` 26. vA revoluble table 27 is arranged- Within this casing in a position'slightly raised' above the bottom 25 thereof, said table being supported for free rotation by a central pintle 28 and` a roller 29, the latter being arranged on the bottom near the front edge of the table in order to sustain the thrust of the knifein the operation of cutting the cheese. An angular knife-bracket 30 is fastened firmly nected at 33 to the overhanging arm of the 1 knife-bracket, saidarm being movable in a vertical plane on the horizontal axis aiii'orded 4 oir... th WeighA "Clii L Y jderv,thejlo1igfarm 22; being turned awayfrom the `Wholejcheese'l V; Theoperator new depresses VY'th' e -knifej'throngh thecheesejto make a cut on 'a'line radial-'tothe axis' thereof, after fwhfich'the knife isflifted nfree from the cheese, -.thetable is turnedV 'until' the rst radial in- ,ffcision is'opposite to the-position assumed by bythe pivot 33. A knifeor cutter 34:.of

:right-angular form' and construction is securely fastened at its upper end to the pivoted arm 32 at a'point on one side of its piv- .otal connection with the knife-bracket.

It is'tov be observed that the pivotal arm and the knife carried thereby are supported by the knife-bracket in an overhanging'position relative to the revoluble table and adapted to cut the cheese on lines radial to the axis 'thereof according to the presentation of the cheese by vrotation'ot the table to the cutter mechanism. `The ind-icator or gage of my in- -vention is vfastened rmly'to the bottom 25 in 'any approved Way for the indicatorcylinder 13 to have its annularseries off graduations 18 intersect. a continuation of the'cut" ting plane of 4the knife, forming an element ofthe cutter mechanism. This disposition fof'the indicator bringsv the casingthereof clo'seto the edge of the revoluble table,- wherehei guide 201 isY arranged concentric!with x-isfofl `theftable,and the shiftable indicator element isad'aptedto overhangthet'able,`A fs'ojasjtoflie intt'he' path 'ofthe load the-re-v en'. The Weight ofl thefch'esl"havin been .itheilong arnnofy thev shiftablevindicator ele- "-ment,'and then'a lsecond cutis `made'in the whole cheese the knife again"lifted`,and the piecev or'fragment isremoved.V After this initi-alfragm ent` has'been taken outof'the cheesethe shiftable element. is turne'dback to its ynormal position, so as tooverhangthe table. .In the continued use of the apparatus the indicator element is moved along the rod to variable positions over the scale and with the longarm thereof extending over the table.

The adjustment of ,thetable and the cheese thereon brings one face ofthe cut cheese against the long arm of the indicator element and positions the cheese below the planeV of operation of the cutter or knife, so as'to sever fragments each in a single piece and at a predetermined weight. ent sizes and Weights of'fragments may be cut from the cake varying from one-half of a pound up to two or more pounds.l vIt-is to be understood that when another cake of InA like mannery differ ined-"the" eylinderflS is"4 rotated until hep-space! 1 3."l corresponding to' IOS* IIO

cheese of a difterentweight is placed on the table the cylinder is to be turned or rotated in order to bring the proper Weight indication and the line of subdivision corresponding thereto into view through the observationslot.

Changes Within the scope of the appended claims 'may be made in the form and proportion of some of the parts While their essential features are retained and the spirit of the invention is embodied. Hence I do not desire to be limited to the precise form of all the parts as shown, reserving the right to vary therefrom.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is-' l. The combination with a revoluble table,`

der revoluble on its axis independently ofthe shittable element and arranged contiguous thereto for the latter to traverse said cylinder. 3. The combination of a casin g, a revoluble cylinder journaled in said casing and graduated substantially as described, a guide fixed to the casin g, and a shiftable element slidably conlined in the guide and having an elongated arm and a tinger,the latter adapted to traverse the casing and the graduations on the indicator-cylinder, as and for the purposes set forth. l 4E. The combination of a casing having suitable attaching means and au observation-slot, a revoluble indicator element providedwith graduations and journaled in said casing, an arcuate guide fastened to the casing, and a shiftable element slidably fitted on the guide and having an arm and a iinger, the latter adapted to traverse the casing and the gradutions of the revoluble indicator element, as

`and for the purposes described.

JAMES PINKNEY PITTMAN.

Witnesses:

REUBEN L. DicKiNsoN, URIAH O. LONG. 

